Page 168 of The Champion
“I mean it. You fuck this up and I’m sending you toboarding school.”
Casten and I both knew that would never happen. I’d bailhim out within twenty-four hours.
“School it is.” Jameson glared at me. “And don’t you thinkabout bailing him out. I know you. He needs to learn manners.”
Casten being the smartass I always knew him to be,smiled. “Oh daddy, please don’t.”
Jameson smacked him upside his head, rusty waves dancedin the breeze. “I blame you for this.”
After twenty minutes, everyone started to arrive. That’swhen the real fun began.
Van and Andrea showed up with the Lucifer twins who bynow were more civilized and practically adults. Lucas had just signed with thePittsburg Pirates to play professional baseball. So he was here, in body,much like Jameson, with his phone molded to his fingers. It’s always been myexperience around any professional athlete that they’re attached to theirphones.
Why?
Because there’s an endless amount of emails, phone calls,Twitter updates, Facebook status...it’show they stay in touch with fans and publicists. As you can imagine, Jamesonhated all of that.
Logan hovered around Jameson since he was now working forJAR Racing. Anything Jameson said, he now paid attention to. It still makes melaugh when I think about Logan duct tapped to a chair and Jameson eating cerealand acting as though there was nothing wrong with duct tapping a 6-year oldlittle boy to a chair.
Van and Andrea had just moved to the East coast to becloser to us. With Van and Clint being around us pretty much 24/7, it wasalmost necessary for them to live near us. Clint lived about a mile from us. Hewas single and took our safety seriously. He was the one that followed useverywhere. As he had his own family now, Van came when security would be anissue.
“What time does our flight leave?” Aiden asked Jameson ashe approached him with Noah.
Jameson peeked at his phone. “Two hours...we need to get this over with.”
“Agreed,” Lane said from behind us. Little Lane was nolonger little Lane. At sixteen, he towered over me in height, looked identicalto Spencer except with blond hair and loved to race dirt bikes. Currently hewas racing on the WORCS series, which was the World Off Road ChampionshipSeries that ran once a month primarily on the west coast.
“Hey Jameson,” Lane nudged Jameson’s shoulder. “Can Icome with you to Daytona?”
All the boys in the family loved Daytona.
Why?
Because of the women. Daytona was notorious forhalf-naked women flaunting around. For teenage boys, this was a dream cometrue, so I learned. Mine were still a little young for that. Thankfully, Castenthought it was disgusting and Axel, well he didn’t see any of that. If itwasn’t a sprint car or Lily West, he never looked twice.
Jameson laughed shaking his head. “Just keep your dick inyour pants kid.”
“Jameson!” Alley slapped his shoulder. “Don’t say dickaround my son.”
“He’s sixteen Alley...”Jameson looked up to glare at her. “He knows he has one.”
“Regardless, don’t say that around him.”
“Mom...dad sayswayworse.” Lane defended with a grin of his own.
Casten jumped on my back after that smooshing his chubbycheeks into mine. “Let’s go get me some ice cream mama.”
“I don’t think so monkey, it’s picture time.”
“Idon’t think so. Don’t want to get my picturetaken today. Maybe tomorrow,” He shrugged letting his legs fall from around mywaist to dangle with his arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
“Okay everyone, let’s gather by the water.” Nancy calledout with Jimi giving everyone the eye. The one that meant you kids betterbehave. No one in their right mind crossed Jimi either. If our family was akingdom, Jimi was the king.
Jimi was still racing on the Outlaw series with Justin,Tyler, Cody and the new driver for JAR Racing, Rager Sweet. Jimi talked aboutretiring but just like every other Riley in the family, racing was his life. Ihad a feeling he was never going to retire unless he was forced to.
Soon we were all lined up near the water, although noneof us were actually looking at the camera. My kids were messing around, tryingto throw Noah and Charlie in the ocean. Lane was helping them. Lexi wasstanding off to the side shaking her head at them. Lucas was on his phone aswas Jameson. Van was trying to keep an eye on a group of women gathered a fewhundred feet away taking their own pictures of us, stalking Jameson as usual.
Emma was screaming for Axel to put Charlie down. Aidenwas helping Noah out of the water by now when Casten pushed him. Alley andSpencer were arguing about Lane going to Daytona with them. Nancy was smiling,glowing actually and Jimi was glaring at everyone.
